Do you all use tablets to study?

[barack_yomama]

I'll be an M1 in the fall. I have a MacBook, but I'm considering getting an iPad Pro to read textbooks and annotate on slides. To all you who have tablets, how much do you find yourselves using them to study? And do you annotate on slides a lot?

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[sovereign0]

I feel like the utility of a MacBook and iPad Pro would overlap.

In my class, there are probably ~10 people who use 2-in-1 combos, and 1 or 2 people who use a tablet exclusively. Most of my classmates exclusively use a laptop (~50% macbooks, 50% PC).

Personally, I have a 2-in-1 laptop/tablet combo and I never use it's tablet functionality. I also have an iPad which I only ever really use for entertainment/leisure. I started off annotating on slides when watching lectures using the touchscreen, but I found it to be of limited usefulness and since the first couple of weeks of school, I've just been annotating slides using a PDF editor. I don't even bring my (extremely expensive) stylus with my laptop anymore. Not even sure where it is.

I've heard some say that having an iPad Mini is nice during clinical years because it fits in a whitecoat pocket. No personal experience on that.

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

You definitely don't need a tablet. The sheer volume of ppt slides and the speed of lectures essentially renders an iPad useless for taking notes, in my opinion. I prefer to import the slides into OneNote, and then annotate by typing in the margins. It's very efficient and an extremely good way of organizing lectures.

I did buy an iPad mini for doing uw questions and looking up stuff When 3rd year starts in June. Fits nicely in my white coat pocket and will look more professional than using my phone to look stuff up.

 

[pre.med2016]

I'm an M1, and I personally like to use my iPad to take handwritten notes during lecture (using OneNote). I really think it helps me stay organized instead of having an endless stack of paper since I prefer to take notes by hand. I also prefer to use it to read PDFs of BRS, RR, etc. so that I can just lounge around anywhere and read them without having a book flopping around. Lastly, it's really helpful when interacting with professors because you can quickly pull up slides/notes, and they can actually draw things out on your iPad for you. I have a touchscreen laptop that I could do this with too, but it's just easier to carry around my iPad when approaching a professor rather than walking up to them with my laptop.

 

[tymont12]

This sort of question comes up every year and it really just comes down to personal preference.

No matter what device, I found OneNote essential for organizing PPTs, random PDFs and the menagerie of 'things' a med school curriculum dump on you. This way, they are accessible on any device (laptop, iPad, phone, etc.).

I also found my iPad great for annotating notes in Notability and reading textbooks thru iBook.

 

[DrSnips]

The tablets I've seen used most frequently for studying were Adderall, which seemed pretty effective.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Unnecessary but may be useful. Don't freak out and buy stuff without knowing exactly how you'll use it (I was in your place 12 months ago). My laptop has been fine so far.

 

[Dires]

Buy an iPad for 3rd year. You don't need it for 1st and 2nd year.

 

[cellsaver]

The tablets I've seen used most frequently for studying were Adderall, which seemed pretty effective.

Good one. A few of the minority undergrads at my university have seen me studying at the graduate library, silent floor, and have approached me about medical school (they noticed my text/board review books). The things you learn from some of these kids. One of them takes 30 mg Addy in morning, then 5 mg in afternoon, sometimes PRN in addition to "energy" drinks. He has been on Addy for 10 years. When he told me he didn't bat an eye. He wants to go to medical school, MD/PhD route.

Adderall for 10 years?

 

[takeurmeds02]

Good one. A few of the minority undergrads at my university have seen me studying at the graduate library, silent floor, and have approached me about medical school (they noticed my text/board review books). The things you learn from some of these kids. One of them takes 30 mg Addy in morning, then 5 mg in afternoon, sometimes PRN in addition to "energy" drinks. He has been on Addy for 10 years. When he told me he didn't bat an eye. He wants to go to medical school, MD/PhD route.

Adderall for 10 years?

Did it matter that they were minorities? Maybe I missed the message you're trying to convey?

To OP, there's only like one guy in my class that faithfully uses a tablet; everyone else just uses their laptops. Your personal preference but I'd wait until you get started to see if you'll find any utility in it.

 

[barack_yomama]

I generally prefer typing notes and using a physical whiteboard to draw things when studying, so sounds like I should hold off on the (electronic) tablet purchase, at least for now. As for other types of tablets -- well, that's a more personal issue. 😉

Thanks for the advice!

 

[cellsaver]

Did it matter that they were minorities? Maybe I missed the message you're trying to convey?.

We people of color look out for each other, so yes, it does matter that these young undergrads, people of color, saw me, a person of color, studying at the grad library, and they had the courage to approach me. We have few role models in our circles so I'm proud of them for looking me for me and texting me. I didn't have any of that when I was their age

 

[Weirdy]

We people of color look out for each other, so yes, it does matter that these young undergrads, people of color, saw me, a person of color, studying at the grad library, and they had the courage to approach me. We have few role models in our circles so I'm proud of them for looking me for me and texting me. I didn't have any of that when I was their age

Didn't realize we were still in apartheid eras.

 

[Oh_Gee]

We people of color look out for each other, so yes, it does matter that these young undergrads, people of color, saw me, a person of color, studying at the grad library, and they had the courage to approach me. We have few role models in our circles so I'm proud of them for looking me for me and texting me. I didn't have any of that when I was their age

represent

 

[cbrons]

I'll be an M1 in the fall. I have a MacBook, but I'm considering getting an iPad Pro to read textbooks and annotate on slides. To all you who have tablets, how much do you find yourselves using them to study? And do you annotate on slides a lot?

I used my ipad to waste a lot of time in-class (the few times I made the mistake of going to the lectures).

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[NotYou20]

Read this as tables which I do in fact use to study.

I don't use a tablet though

 

[vernhart]

I'll be an M1 in the fall. I have a MacBook, but I'm considering getting an iPad Pro to read textbooks and annotate on slides. To all you who have tablets, how much do you find yourselves using them to study? And do you annotate on slides a lot?

I don't use them but I don't see why you'd need more than one tablet per day, unless you've been using them for a long time.

 

[JamaicanHerb]

We people of color look out for each other, so yes, it does matter that these young undergrads, people of color, saw me, a person of color, studying at the grad library, and they had the courage to approach me. We have few role models in our circles so I'm proud of them for looking me for me and texting me. I didn't have any of that when I was their age

False, this is for self serving reasons, to show white and Asian people that you aren't a stereotype.

 

[Funny_Current]

In my SMP program I used my iPad Pro and it was a game changer for how I studied. Notability is an awesome app as well and it supplemented the iPad nicely. You can upload the ppts to the app and it turns it into a PDF file. You can also record audio and that really helps when your taking notes because when you play it back later, you can see when you wrote the note(s) during the lecture. Some of our classes were recorded though so recording wasn't necessary. Battery life is incredible. 1.5 days using 6-8 hours/day.

I'm going to continue this method when I start MS1 and adjust it as necessary.

Edit: forgot to mention how amazing apples pencil is For annotating ppts/ documents/ pics

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[mehc012]

I'll be an M1 in the fall. I have a MacBook, but I'm considering getting an iPad Pro to read textbooks and annotate on slides. To all you who have tablets, how much do you find yourselves using them to study? And do you annotate on slides a lot?

I don't take notes myself but both of my study partners moved to the system you're describing. One started with a Surface and moved to the MacBook + iPad Pro and likes it far better. The other had a Mac from the beginning and just got the iPad Pro after seeing how well it was working for our friend. Both seem really happy with the new setup.

The key is to use OneNote because it syncs between the computer and the iPad really easily and quickly. There are other programs which may be slightly better on the iPad, or on the Mac, but OneNote seems to be the middle ground where it's good on both and on combining them.

 

[cellsaver]

False, this is for self serving reasons, to show white and Asian people that you aren't a stereotype.

Te olvidaste de los latinos

 

[mehc012]

Te olvidaste de los latinos

Pues, en esta clima political a veces pienso que sería mejor si más personas olvidaran de los latinos y enfocaran en sus propios problemas.

 

[sullen-burger]

I don't take notes myself but both of my study partners moved to the system you're describing. One started with a Surface and moved to the MacBook + iPad Pro and likes it far better. The other had a Mac from the beginning and just got the iPad Pro after seeing how well it was working for our friend. Both seem really happy with the new setup.

The key is to use OneNote because it syncs between the computer and the iPad really easily and quickly. There are other programs which may be slightly better on the iPad, or on the Mac, but OneNote seems to be the middle ground where it's good on both and on combining them.

Which version of Microsoft office did you get? The home office or the student? Because I can't figure out if the student discounted version is just for one device or multiple.

 

[mehc012]

Which version of Microsoft office did you get? The home office or the student? Because I can't figure out if the student discounted version is just for one device or multiple.

You don't need a license for the tablet version

Sent from my phone, sorry for any typos or brevity.

 

[futuremdforme]

If you buy a tablet, buy a regular ipad, not an ipad pro. I use the handwriting feature on a surface pro but wish I'd just bought an ipad.

 

[watermelon master]

If you buy a tablet, buy a regular ipad, not an ipad pro. I use the handwriting feature on a surface pro but wish I'd just bought an ipad.

Why?

 

[mehc012]

If you buy a tablet, buy a regular ipad, not an ipad pro. I use the handwriting feature on a surface pro but wish I'd just bought an ipad.

Absolutely not, the Pro + Pencil writes way better

Sent from my phone, sorry for any typos or brevity.

 

[Oh_Gee]

I'll be an M1 in the fall. I have a MacBook, but I'm considering getting an iPad Pro to read textbooks and annotate on slides. To all you who have tablets, how much do you find yourselves using them to study? And do you annotate on slides a lot?

it's great to draw out diagrams on and to take notes on. if i printed out all my lecture slides like i did in college, my back pain would be even worse from lugging around all that paper

 

[Oh_Gee]

it's great to draw out diagrams on and to take notes on. if i printed out all my lecture slides like i did in college, my back pain would be even worse from lugging around all that paper

and with 1 stylus, you can draw with all the colors of the wind

 

[Amygdarya]

I have almost exclusively studied using my iPad starting from MS1 - annotating lecture slides with handwritten notes and diagrams in Notability (here is a really good and affordable stylus: Amazon product ASIN B00N1BRWLA), reading electronic books (you can have a whole medical library on one device!) - and it's been invaluable on clinical rotations (note: regular iPads don't fit into some white coat pockets; iPad mini, on the other hand, fits even into you scrub pants pockets which allows you to read even in the OR between cases!). The only times I use my laptop now (for school) and when I have to type some long-ish notes, essays, papers or prepare posters/PowerPoint presentations. Reading, annotating lecture slides and papers, doing UW questions, accessing information online is hands down more convenient from an iPad - you just can't beat the portability.

 

[Redpancreas]

I'll be an M1 in the fall. I have a MacBook, but I'm considering getting an iPad Pro to read textbooks and annotate on slides. To all you who have tablets, how much do you find yourselves using them to study? And do you annotate on slides a lot?

My personal opinion given my school's curriculum and my financial situation, an IPad is mostly unnecessary. I honestly only needed it during Anatomy when I downloaded this $80 netter app which would have only been useful on the IPad. After that, I mainly used it for watching YouTube/social media when I came home. Even on clerkships, there is NO USE of an IPad. There's never that picture perfect moment to whip one at and get a gold star from your attending because smartphone is just as good. In my spare time in a call room, I've even done a considerable amount of UWorld practice questions and written stuff down in a seperate sheet amd as long as I keep my phone charger handy it's literally just the same as an iPad.

Also while the above poster may have some useful brands I've never tried, during my Neuro anatomy course I tried to use my iPad because so many images were involved that needed annotation and the styluses on the market then were just not good enough for note taking at the speed I required. There are multiple apps for downloading stuff and editing. If you do end up buying an IPad like me, I recommend PDF Expert (9.99) just because it seems so standard. The others like evernote/notability seem to gimmicky for me even though they probably have some features I don't use.

 

[Redpancreas]

Absolutely not, the Pro + Pencil writes way better

Sent from my phone, sorry for any typos or brevity.

I would love to endorse the IPad over a the Microsoft tablets but I must say that after using my friend's surface pro (or something like that) I was amazed at the increased note-taking ability of it as compared to the IPad.

 

[mehc012]

I would love to endorse the IPad over a the Microsoft tablets but I must say that after using my friend's surface pro (or something like that) I was amazed at the increased note-taking ability of it as compared to the IPad.

Hey, I'm a PC person myself. Still think Apple makes the best touchscreen, but I'd never trade my tabPC (nonSurface, I like mine better).

Sent from my phone, sorry for any typos or brevity.

 

[sammiesings]

Forgive my totally noob question, but for those recommending the surface pro over the iPad, isn't the iPad legions cheaper? I can't find a surface pro under 1k but iPad is like 300 ish.

Also, if money is a concern is the iPad pro that much better than the ipad to justify the cost?

 

[mehc012]

Forgive my totally noob question, but for those recommending the surface pro over the iPad, isn't the iPad legions cheaper? I can't find a surface pro under 1k but iPad is like 300 ish.

Also, if money is a concern is the iPad pro that much better than the ipad to justify the cost?

I mean, generally you need iPad + Mac, you need an actual computer somewhere.

And from what I can tell on iPad vs Pro...yes.

 

[oznefu]

Glad this thread was started. In a dilemma on whether to keep my current MacBook pro and get an iPad for note taking, etc. or completely switching over to the Microsoft surface book (laptop + detachable tablet) or surface pro. I'd have to learn a new OS if I go with the latter. Also, I'm really loving iMessage on my computer lol


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[oznefu]

Forgive my totally noob question, but for those recommending the surface pro over the iPad, isn't the iPad legions cheaper? I can't find a surface pro under 1k but iPad is like 300 ish.

Also, if money is a concern is the iPad pro that much better than the ipad to justify the cost?

The surface pro is meant to act as a hybrid laptop/tablet and has USB ports. It runs the full windows 10 operating system. The iPad runs iOS which is similar to iPhone.

Unfortunately the regular iPad isn't compatible with the Apple Pencil. I think the iPad pro have better touch recognition which makes it better for note taking, drawing, etc


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[sammiesings]

The surface pro is meant to act as a hybrid laptop/tablet and has USB ports. It runs the full windows 10 operating system. The iPad runs iOS which is similar to iPhone.

Unfortunately the regular iPad isn't compatible with the Apple Pencil. I think the iPad pro have better touch recognition which makes it better for note taking, drawing, etc


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Oh got it. Can you use a different stylus? I assume the Apple pencil is a big deal though then? It's likely much fancier than the stylus I'm thinking of hah.

I already have a full laptop/external monitor set up that I'm really happy with. I guess I'm just considering what would be best to take to class with me. Because if thats the tablet deal I may need to upgrade to the surface pro I think? As a supplement to my home set up though, what are folks' thoughts on just getting an iPad?

 

[oznefu]

Oh got it. Can you use a different stylus? I assume the Apple pencil is a big deal though then? It's likely much fancier than the stylus I'm thinking of hah.

I'm sure you can as you are able to use a 3rd party stylus on the regular iPad, so it might even work better with the pro. I just don't think it'll work as 'well' as the Apple Pencil.

I also forgot to mention the surface products come with a surface pen included.




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[Oh_Gee]

Glad this thread was started. In a dilemma on whether to keep my current MacBook pro and get an iPad for note taking, etc. or completely switching over to the Microsoft surface book (laptop + detachable tablet) or surface pro. I'd have to learn a new OS if I go with the latter. Also, I'm really loving iMessage on my computer lol


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just get the ipad pro since you already have a macbook

 

[mehc012]

I'm sure you can as you are able to use a 3rd party stylus on the regular iPad, so it might even work better with the pro. I just don't think it'll work as 'well' as the Apple Pencil.

I also forgot to mention the surface products come with a surface pen included.




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You can use a capacitive stylus with any touchscreen, including the iPad.

The Pencil is a form of active stylus, which allows it palm detection and much, MUCH finer control of your writing. Unlike the standard n-Trig styli that most tabPCs use (if they support an active stylus, which you should know before you buy them), the Apple Pencil uses Bluetooth. Not sure why the iPad regular isn't able to support that, but then I don't personally have one, so I haven't looked into it in a ton of detail.

As styli go, the Pencil is...OK. It's got no buttons, which is weird, so you have to select the eraser to erase, rather than being able to use the 'eraser' end of the stylus or hold a button. But beyond that it's fine. Charges from the iPad itself, which is nice if you're not continuing to use the iPad while you charge it, and annoying if you are. Has a tiny cap that seems easy to lose, and a tiny adapter that makes the charging easier (because it connects to the iPad cord instead of forming a disaster-ready torqueable setup with the pencil sticking straight out of the iPad charging port) but also seems easy to lose.